Shade's Exile
by CloudtuftofStarClan
Summary: When the leader of SnowClan is sent a vague and misleading prophecy, it is interpreted wrong. One of SnowClan's most loyal warriors is wrongly sent into exile and forced to live as a rogue while the real threat is still out there.
1. Prologue - The Prophecy

The black tom climbed the mountain, followed by the medicine cat. The gray she cat was much older than the tom, and had a hard time keeping up. Every so often, the tom would stop to wait, but the she cat did not allow him. "Don't let me keep you. I know how important this is for you. I'll catch up." The she cat told him.

"Ivywillow, you can wait here if that's easier." The tom offered. Ivywillow scoffed playfully. "I may be old, but l won't let that stop me, Clawstar." Clawstar dipped his head in respect. He did as Ivywillow ordered and kept climbing. "I'm joining the elders after this." She muttered as she continued on. Her bones ached, but she didn't let that stop her.

Clawstar had finally reached the High Peak. The cold wind made Clawstar shiver. He glanced over the edge to look for Ivywillow. She was almost at the top. He waited for her to join him before lying down on the cold stone. Clawstar shut his eyes and prayed for StarClan to come to him.

He opened his eyes to find himself standing in front of a StarClan cat. "Thunderstar, I have come for your help." Clawstar began. "I know why you are here. You are here about the prophecy." Thunderstar replied. Clawstar nodded. Clawstar started at the gray tom, waiting for an answer.

"I cannot help you." Thunderstar finally meowed. "You must help me!" Clawstar insisted. "I need your help!" "No!" Thunderstar hissed. "You must learn to make your own decisions. I can't hold your paw and do everything for you. Trust yourself to do the right thing." Clawstar sighed. "Very well, Thunderstar." He said.

"Clawstar, I wish you good luck." Thunderstar meowed as he faded away. Clawstar woke up. He waited for Ivywillow to finish her dream. Soon, the she cat woke up. "Did you hear anything from StarClan?" Clawstar asked anxiously. Ivywillow shook her head. "StarClan did not share anything useful. Any luck with you?" Ivywillow meowed. "Nothing. Thunderstar said we have to figure it out ourselves and make a decision." "Let's not worry about it right now. We should start heading back to camp. The clan needs us."

Ivywillow began to climb down. Clawstar looked up at the stars one last time before joining the old medicine cat. He helped Ivywillow make her way down the mountain. Clawstar couldn't stop thinking about the prophecy from StarClan. "Ivywillow, what do you think the prophecy means?" He asked suddenly. Ivywillow shrugged. "I was always good at reading messages from StarClan, but this time is harder." She admitted. "I hope we can figure it out before it's too late." Clawstar replied. Ivywillow nodded. She slipped a little on a rock, but Clawstar helped her. "Thank you." The medicine cat said. "Of course." Clawstar meowed.

The two made their way down the mountain. _The light will destroy the darkness before chaos breaks out._ Clawstar repeated the prophecy in his head. _But what in StarClan does it mean?_

 **There's the prologue. Sorry that it's pretty short. I don't know when the first chapter will be out since I am writing this story and Prophecy of War at the same time. Hopefully you guys enjoyed. If you have tips, suggestions, or questions don't be afraid to ask! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1 - Battles

"Clawfrost! Clawfrost!" Shadepaw and the rest of SnowClan cheered for the newest warrior, Clawfrost. The black and white tom stood proudly as his clan mates cheered. Shadepaw padded up to his friend as the crowd dispersed. "Congrats!" He meowed. "Thanks. I've been waiting for this day forever." Clawfrost sighed with relief. "You earned it." Shadepaw said. Clawfrost purred. "It won't be long until you're made a warrior." Shadepaw nodded. Shadepaw hadn't been training for that long, but in a moon or two, he would get his warrior name.

"Shadepaw! We're on patrol! Let's move!" Sagedusk, Shadepaw's mentor, called. He stood at the front of the camp with Leopardstorm and Lightpaw, Shadepaw's sister. "I'll talk to you later." Shadepaw told Clawfrost as he ran after the patrol.

"I can't believe Clawfrost got his warrior name before us." Lightpaw complained to her brother. "Well, he is older than us. It makes sense to me." Shadepaw pointed out. Lightpaw rolled her eyes. "I'm a way better warrior than him! I'm faster and smarter! I'm way better at fighting!" Lightpaw exclaimed. Shadepaw sighed. He wasn't surprised by his sister's remarks. She had been like this since she was a kit. Lightpaw always treated everything as a competition and she felt that she was better than everyone else. I don't get how she can be so competitive.

"Well, Clawfrost is really strong. Besides, he's earned it and we will too." Shadepaw tried to calm his sister down. She scoffed at her brother's words. "I've already earned it!" She insisted. "Would you apprentices shut it already. Clawfrost is worthy of his warrior name and you two will get yours one day. Just be patient." Leopardstorm snapped. "Yes, Leopardstorm." Shadepaw replied politely. Lightpaw didn't say anything. "Lightpaw, answer me when I talk to you." Leopardstorm said. "Yes, Leopardstorm." Lightpaw muttered.

"Keep a lookout for StoneClan cats." Sagedusk meowed to the patrol as they walked close to the StoneClan border. "Those weasels are always up to something." He wasn't wrong. StoneClan and SnowClan never really got along. _Hopefully that changes one day._ Unfortunately, that day was not today. As the patrol continued on, they found two StoneClan cats on their territory. Before they could do anything, the two cats ran off with prey in their mouth. "After them!" Sagedusk ordered. The patrol ran after the thieves, but it was too late. They were already over their border.

"We should go after them!" Lightpaw spat as the thieves ran back to their camp. "No! We will go and tell Thunderstar what happened." Leopardstorm snapped. _Who's idea was it to make Leopardstorm her mentor? They never get along._ "Leopardstorm is right. I will head back to camp and tell him the news. The rest of you will have to continue on without me." Sagedusk meowed. Shadepaw watched as his mentor hurried back to camp. "We're moving, Shadepaw. I don't understand how you can always be so slow." Leopardstorm groaned as she waited impatiently. "Sorry." Shadepaw murmured as he jogged to keep up.

When the patrol got back to camp, Thunderstar was already calling a meeting. Thunderstar was known for having no patience for the other clans. He was aggressive towards outsiders, but he cared deeply about his clan mates. Thunderstar was also a great fighter. He was quick and deadly in a fight.

"Our patrol caught two StoneClan cats on our territory stealing prey. I have had enough of StoneClan! Those thieves think that they are so high and mighty! How about we show them just how good SnowClan is?" He yelled. If there was one thing Shadepaw knew about Thunderstar, it was that he was great at rallying his cats. His clan mates cheered and we're excited to take on StoneClan. Even Lightpaw couldn't sit still. She looked so excited.

"We attack tonight!" Thunderstar shouted, making the clan cheer. "Who will fight in the battle?" The deputy, Lightningstripe, asked. "Lightningstripe, Sagedusk, Falconblaze, Foxshine, Ratclaw, Leopardstorm, Lightpaw, Shadepaw, and I will fight." Thunderstar ordered. "Great! I can't wait to fight those fleabags!" Lightpaw exclaimed. _How can she be so happy about this? Isn't this wrong? I mean, it was just two piece of prey._

"I wish I could go, but I'm fine with the night off." Hickorypaw laughed. "Good luck tonight, Shadepaw. You too, Lightpaw." Before Shadepaw could thank her, Lightpaw already answered. "We don't need luck! We're SnowClan!" She boasted. "Anyway, thanks, Hickorypaw." Shadepaw meowed, making the dark brown tabby smile. "Get some rest before you go! I want to show StoneClan who they're messing with!" Thunderstar hollered as he made his way over to Lightningstripe.

"Aren't you excited, Shadepaw?" Lightpaw asked. Shadepaw hesistated to respond. Part of him wanted to say yes. He hadn't been in many battles before, so it would be great practice for him. But the other part of him wanted to say no. Cats were going to get hurt, or even worse, killed. "Well?" Lightpaw said impatiently. "Yeah, I guess so." Shadepaw mumbled. "Sometimes I wonder how we're related." Lightpaw muttered as she walked away. Shadepaw flinched at his sister's words. She was the only kin he had left. Shadepaw's mother, Iceflight, had been killed in a fight against foxes two moons ago. He had never met his father, so it was just Shadepaw and Lightpaw.

"Alright, follow me, quickly and quietly." Lightningstripe said quietly to his group. The SnowClan cats had split into two different groups. Thunderstar's group consisted of Ratclaw, Leopardstorm, and Lightpaw. They would attract the StoneClan cats out. The rest of the cats were led by Lightningstripe. His group stayed out of sight and waited silently in the bushes. Once the fight broke out, the group would ambush the StoneClan cats. Shadepaw was nervous about the battle.

At his first fight, he was excited. SnowClan had attacked MarshClan after some cats tried to take SnowClan's territory. Shadepaw did well in the battle and they had successfully taught MarshClan cats a lesson. No cat had been seriously injured or killed.

A week later, foxes attacked the camp. Iceflight and three other cats had been killed in that fight. That was an eye opener for young Shadepaw. He saw that every fight had consequences, including this battle.

Shadepaw watched as a StoneClan patrol slowly came into view. He could see four cats, including StoneClan's deputy, Snakefang. "Thunderstar, why are you on our territory?" Snakefang demanded. Her brown pelt was bristling. "I guess I could ask you the same thing. One of my patrols found two of your warriors on our land. Stealing our prey!" Thunderstar spoke sharply, but Snakefang didn't back down. "Do not come onto StoneClan territory and make false accusations!" Snakefang hissed. Shadepaw watched as Lightpaw hissed back at the deputy. _Stupid fur ball._

Snakefang whispered something into the ear of one of her cats. The little silver tabby was clearly a new apprentice. _She's no bigger than a kit!_ The apprentice nodded and ran off towards camp. At that moment, Thunderstar attacked Snakefang. The other warriors beside Thunderstar attacked Snakefang's group. Despite being outmatched, the StoneClan cats fought like lions. Shadepaw watched as Lightpaw and Leopardstorm fought a huge StoneClan tom.

As the fight raged on, StoneClan's reinforcements arrived. The apprentice was joined with four StoneClan warriors and another apprentice. "SnowClan, now!" Lightningstripe yelled. At that moment, Lightningstripe's group raced out and jumped into the fray. Shadepaw ran to help his sister. Before he could reach her, he was bowled over by a brown she cat.

"You filthy rats! I'll make you pay!" She yelled, pinning down Shadepaw. He tried to get out from underneath her, but it was useless. The warrior scratched furiously at his belly, making Shadepaw cry out in pain. The warrior left several cuts in the apprentice's body. Suddenly, Lightpaw knocked the warrior off of her brother. "Shadepaw! How can you be so incompetent?" Lightpaw snarled at her brother. "Get it together already!" The white apprentice ran off to attack the brown warrior.

Shadepaw took a deep breath. The black apprentice attacked the silver tabby he had seen before. "You think your warriors can come onto our territory and attack us?" The silver tabby spat and she scratched his shoulder. "Your warriors were on our land first!" Shadepaw retorted. Shadepaw gulped. _I can't believe I said something like that. I never do that._

He turned his back to her and swept her legs with his tail. The apprentice fell to the ground and Shadepaw pounced. "Ow!" She yowled. Shadepaw bit into her leg and clawed at her back. The silver apprentice was able to push him off and scamper away, bleeding.

Shadepaw looked around the clearing. He saw Sagedusk holding off a warrior. Next to him, he saw Ratclaw lying on the ground, barely alive. The cut on his neck was deep and spilled blood. Blood was pooled on the ground next to him. Shadepaw ran to help his mentor protect the injured warrior. He jumped onto the StoneClan warrior and bit into his back. Shadepaw was thrown off and landed next to Ratclaw.

"Shadepaw..." He murmured. The brown tom could barely keep his eyes open. _He's going to die without a medicine cat!_ Shadepaw panicked. _What can I do?_ "Shadepaw! Hit him from behind!" Sagedusk exclaimed. Shadepaw turned around to see his mentor fighting valiantly against a warrior much bigger than him. Despite the two being equally strong, Sagedusk needed help if he was going to take down the warrior. Shadepaw nodded to his mentor and jumped onto the warrior's back legs. The warrior was knocked down and Sagedusk bit his front leg.

"Go help Ratclaw!" He ordered. "I can handle him." Shadepawnoded and ran over to Ratclaw. "Ratclaw, don't worry. You'll be alright." Shadepaw said. Shadepaw knew the warrior's injury was fatal. He knew that there was nothing he could do. It pained Shadepaw to lie to the dying warrior, just to make his last moments a little easier and more peaceful.

"Shadepaw, tell Shellclaw and my kits that I love them." Ratclaw coughed out blood. Shadepaw slowly nodded. "I'll tell them. Just breath." He said calmly. Ratclaw weakly smiled and closed his eyes. "They'll be proud of you." Shadepaw whispered. But it was too late. He was dead.

At that moment, he heard a loud scream come from the StoneClan deputy. In the center of the clearing, he saw Thunderstar strike down Snakefang. He sliced through her chest and blood stained his fur. Snakefang's eyes were wide as her body fell to the ground. All of the cats had stopped fighting and looked on in horror as the deputy cried out in pain. Moments later, it was silent. Snakefang was dead. "StoneClan, retreat!" One of the warriors said. Shadepaw watched as two warriors carried the deputy's body and one apprentice limp away.

Each one of them had fur stained in blood from their cuts and the cuts of their attackers. Shadepaw glanced at his belly. Two of the scratches were bleeding. The cut on his shoulder began to drip blood.

Shadepaw helped Foxshine and Falconblaze carry Ratclaw's body. He looked around for his sister. She saw her covered in blood, but she didn't look hurt or upset. Lightpaw just walked normally with a big smile on her face. _How can act so happy when we just lost Ratclaw? and after witnessing a horrible death?_

"We were able to make a statement and show StoneClan to keep away from us. In the heat of the battle, their deputy, Snakefang, was killed." Thunderstar reported. Several gasps rose from the cats who stayed behind. _He didn't say who struck her down though._ "We lost just as much. My nephew, Ratclaw, was killed." Shadepaw glanced over to Ratclaw's body. It laid in the center of camp, where Shellclaw and her three kits sat close by. Shadepaw felt awful for the queen. _If I had gotten there sooner, maybe he'd still be alive._ Shadepaw was too busy thinking and staring at Shellclaw that he missed the rest of the report. He turned around to see Thunderstar walk away and the cats head over to pay their respects to Ratclaw.

Shadepaw slowly walked over, tail drooping. He waited patiently for his turn. "I'm sorry. I should have done more." Shadepaw said quietly as he stared at Ratclaw's body. He padded over to Shellclaw. She sat with her kits close by. They were too young to understand what had happened. "He gave me a message for you. Just before he died." Shadepaw began. The black and white queen picked up her head. "He asked me to tell you and the kits that he will always love you." Shadepaw meowed. "Thank you, Shadepaw. Thank you." Shellclaw said quietly.

"I just wish I could have done more for him. He was a great warrior." Shadepaw said apologetically. "It's not your fault, Shadepaw. I know Ratclaw would never believe that." Shellclaw told him. Shadepaw nodded slowly. He said goodbye to the queen and walked over to Clawfrost. He was going to sit vigil soon, so Shadepaw wanted to talk to him. "Hey, Shadepaw. How are your cuts?" Clawfrost asked. Shadepaw shrugged. Ivywillow, the medicine cat, had put dock and cobwebs on the scratches on his belly. They stung a little when he walked, but Shadepaw managed. "They're fine." He replied.

"I wish I could have been there. The only reason I had to stay back was because of my vigil." Clawfrost sighed. "Don't worry. You'll get your chance in a battle soon. StoneClan clearly won't be happy. Especially after their deputy died." Shadepaw said bitterly.

"That must be tough for you. I know you're not the most enthusiastic about fighting."

"I'm glad that I'm good at hunting. Otherwise I'd be useless to the clan."

"Ha! You're probably the best hunter out of the apprentices. The others aren't bad, but you're pretty good at it."

"Don't tell Lightpaw that. She might claw your fur out for saying I'm a better hunter than her."

"Pfft. No offense, but she's a little crazy when it comes to competing."

"Tell me about it."

"Still, she will be a good warrior one day. You too."

"I hope so."

Before Clawfrost could reply, Lightningstripe came up to them. "Clawfrost, it's time for your vigil." He meowed. Shadepaw looked at the deputy's wounds. He had a big gash on his lower back. _I'm surprised Ivywillow was able to stop it from bleeding._ Clawfrost said his goodbyes to Shadepaw and Shadepaw watched him go.

All of a sudden, Shadepaw felt exhausted. It was as if all of the hard work he had done today had finally caught up to him. Between hunting, patrol, and the battle, Shadepaw was ready for some sleep. He wearily walked inside the apprentice den and plopped down into his bed. Hickorypaw was already sleeping. Shadepaw didn't know where Lightpaw was. He shut his eyes and within seconds, he was asleep.

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! I haven't updated this is in forever, so I'm glad to have gotten it done. What do you guys think of the characters so far? If you have any suggestions, tips, or questions, contact me! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Standing up

**Finally back! How are we only on chapter two? Don't worry, I'll get that fixed. I'll be updating more often and begin doing shoutouts here to the people who review. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Flameheart88 - Glad you're enjoying the book so far! :)**

* * *

"Oh would you hurry up already, Shadepaw?" Lightpaw moaned. She was sitting outside of the apprentices den with Hickorypaw. "Give him some time" Hickorypaw said. "He's probably just tired."

It had been a quarter moon since the battle with StoneClan. Shadepaw's belly was still hurting from his cut.

"I work my tail off everyday! I do way more than him. If anything, I should be the one getting some sleep for once." Lightpaw growled. "Be patient, he's coming." Hickorypaw told her.

Shadepaw was still trying to get up. He was really tired from yesterday. Shadepaw went on the dawn patrol, hunted for a while, and had battle training with Hickorypaw. Of course he would be tired! Why couldn't Lightpaw understand that?

He blinked the weariness from his eyes and stepped outside. The sun was shining bright, making Shadepaw squint. It was a much different atmosphere than the apprentices den. "It's about time!" Lightpaw exclaimed. "Sorry?" Shadepaw meowed. _Oh StarClan, why is she always like this? Impatient and rude._

Shadepaw shook the thought from his mind. He and the other apprentices were being assessed today. _I know she doesn't want to be late, but she could give me a break, right? Right?_ Shadepaw followed the others outside. They were supposed to be meeting Lightningstripe in the Evergreen Grounds.

"How are you feeling today, Shadepaw?" Hickorypaw asked. "I'm okay." Shadepaw meowed. "How are you?"

"I'm doing great! I'm a little nervous for the assessment, but I'm also excited." Hickorypaw smiled. Seeing his friend happy made Shadepaw smile too. Hickorypaw was usually a positive cat. Even when she's nervous, she still has a smile on her face. _I don't know how she does it_.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine." Shadepaw comforted her. "Thanks." Hickorypaw replied, blushing.

Shadepaw watched his sister and Hickorypaw battle. Lightpaw slashed at Hickorypaw's head with unsheathed claws. Shadepaw gasped when he saw blood swell on Hickorypaw's head.

"You can do it, Hickorypaw!" Shadepaw encouraged. But it didn't look good for the tortoiseshell apprentice. Though Hickorypaw was finally able to scratch Lightpaw's shoulder, it soon went downhill.

Lightpaw dodged Hickorypaw's scratches and jumped onto her back. She bit down hard on Hickorypaw's leg, making her wail in pain. Hickorypaw grabbed Lightpaw by the scruff and tried to throw her.

But Hickorypaw wasn't as strong as she had thought, and Lightpaw didn't go very far. The white apprentice immediately jumped up and clawed Hickorypaw's ear. Lightpaw moved with lightning speed and hit hard. Hickorypaw was no match for the older apprentice.

Lightpaw, once again, easily escaped Hickorypaw's attacks. She twisted around Hickorypaw's leg, jumped onto her back again, and dug her claws into her back. Hickorypaw tried to counterattack, but it didn't really work out for her. Lightpaw was still attached to her back.

"Very good. Lightpaw, you can stop now." Lightningstripe said. The tall, gray deputy was sitting next to Shadepaw. "No way!" Lightpaw exclaimed. "We're not done! I was just getting started!"

"I don't want to hear it, Lightpaw." Lightningstripe told her. "Hickorypaw, go see Ivywillow and get your scratches checked out." "Thank you, Lightningstripe." Hickorypaw said, out of breath. She dipped her head and then limped back to camp.

"Well now what am I supposed to do?" Lightpaw demanded.

"Well, Shadepaw hasn't fought yet. Why don't you two have a practice battle?" The deputy suggested. Shadepaw's heart sank. He usually had a lot of respect for the deputy, but right now he wanted to claw his ears off. _Fight Lightpaw? She'll destroy me! She's the best fighter out of the apprentices! I mean, yeah there's only three of us, but still!_

Shadepaw reluctantly got up and trotted onto the battlefield. "Hurry up! Why must you be so slow!" Lightpaw groaned. "Why must you be so impatient, rude, arrogant-" Shadepaw muttered under his breath.

"What are you saying? You mumble too much!" Lightpaw demanded. "Nothing." Shadepaw told her. He took a deep breath. Maybe she'd go easy on him? _No, of course she won't. She'll enjoy beating me. She always has and always will._

"Are you two ready?" Lightningstripe asked. "I was born ready!" Lightpaw exclaimed. "I guess." Shadepaw meowed.

"Alright, begin!" Lightningstripe shouted.

Lightpaw dashed at her slower brother. Shadepaw tried to dodge, but Lightpaw was too fast. She hit Shadepaw with her shoulder and knocked him onto his back. She jumped onto his belly and began clawing away at it. Shadepaw flinched at the pain. _I have to get her off me somehow._

Shadepaw noticed her tail was close to the ground. He used his back legs to grab ahold of her tail and threw her off. Shadepaw got to his feet, but winced at the pain. His old sound from the StoneCkan battle reopened and currently dripped blood onto the grass. _And it was almost full year healed._ Shadepaw couldn't help but sigh.

He fought through it and jumped onto his sister's white back as she got up. _Okay, okay, it's going okay. Now what? Oh, I got an idea!_ Shadepaw dug his claws into Lightpaw's back just like she had done to Hickorypaw. But this time, Lightpaw was able to shake him off. Shadepaw landed on the damp gras with a thud.

"How'd you do that?" Shadepaw exclaimed, scrambling to get up. "I'm stronger than you _and_ bigger than you. It was like knocking a dead squirrel off my back." Lightpaw told him. Shadepaw's pelt started to bristle. _Did his sister really have to be so mean all the time?_

"That's it!" Shadepaw yelled as he jumped at his sister. He clawed her ear and drew blood. Lightpaw hissed at him and swiftly scratched his muzzle. Shadepaw could feel the crimson blood trickle down his muzzle and fall gently on the ground.

Shadepaw scratched Lightpaw's leg. She grunted from the pain. Lightpaw tripped him using her front legs and incredible speed.

She bit his black shoulder and slashed his belly. Shadepaw fought back and slashed her front leg. Lightpaw flinched in pain, leaving herself vulnerable. Shadepaw pushed her off. Lightpaw counter attacked and scratched Shadepaw right above his eye. Shadepaw fell to the ground.

He was in agony. Blood ran down his face as he tried to catch his breath. As a last resort, he clawed Lightpaw's nose when she charged at him, drawing blood. She hit her brother once more on the head. But this time, Shadepaw was too exhausted to fight back.

Lightpaw jumped on his back and bit down hard. Shadepaw squirmed from underneath her. This time, she held on tight. Shadepaw rolled over, crushing his sister. He was able to jump up and claw at her belly. Though he cared for his sister, it felt good to let his anger out on her.

Lightpaw was rarely nice to him. Ever since they were kits, she always wanted to be better than him. And part of that meant always putting him down. _This time, I'm not going to let her win. I'm much better than I give myself credit for. No, I'm much better than she gives me credit for._

"I'm tired of letting you put me down all the time! I'm not going to take it anymore, Lightpaw!" Shadepaw yelled. "It's time that I stand up for myself and my friends. You bully Hickorypaw because she isn't as good of a fighter as you. When Clawfrost was an apprentice, you constantly scratched him because you were just jealous that he was just as good at fighting as you!"

"Shut up!" Lightpaw yelled, pushing him off. "Let's be real, the three of you never included me when you hung out! I can't help that I'm better at fighting than all of you! I can't help that you're not as good as me!" Lightpaw scratched his muzzle for a third time.

"Silence!" Lightningstripe yelled, stepping between the two. "You fought well, but I will not allow you two to yell horrible things at one another!"

"I'm sorry, Lightningstripe. I just got really mad and-" Shadepaw began. "No excuse. You two are going hunting. Don't go together. You might kill each other. Hopefully Thunderstar won't delay your warrior ceremonies because of this." Lightningstripe said, walking back to camp.

 _Great! My warrior ceremony will get delayed. Just what I wanted to hear._ When Lightningstripe was out of sight, Lightpaw scratched Shadepaw's muzzle again. "What was that for?" Shadepaw snapped. "This is all your fault! You started it with your stupid remarks!" She spat.

"If you had been a better sister to me, I wouldn't have said all those things about you!" Shadepaw hissed. He wasn't going to deal with it. He walked away from his sister, happy to leave her behind for once.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Shadepaw." Clawfrost said. Clawfrost came with Shadepaw to hunt for SnowClan. "I just-" Shadepaw signed. "I just said such horrible things. I mean, she did deserve them, but it felt as if someone else was in control of me. I didn't feel like me when I yelled at her."

"It's okay. Nobody could blame you. Lightpaw has treated you badly ever since you were kits." Clawfrost told him. "If it weren't for you and Hickorypaw, my life would be such a mess." Shadepaw meowed.

He smelled a mouse nearby and immediately got into position. Shadepaw saw it scurrying around by a nearby rock. It was too busy eating a seed to notice the black tom approaching. As Shadepaw crawled closer, he became less focused. He stepped on a twig, alerting the mouse.

Shadepaw ran after it. Luckily, he caught up to it and killed it with a bite. "Thank you, StarClan, for this mouse. I'm sure the elders will enjoy it." Shadepaw whispered as he picked his catch up.

"Good job. I mean, stepping on the twig wasn't good, but at least you got it." Clawfrost meowed. "Yeah, I guess I lost focus." Shadepaw said. "I'll bring this back to camp. I want to go see if Hickorypaw is feeling better after her fight."

"Sure, I'll meet you back there in a little bit." Clawfrost told him. Shadepaw said goodbye as he trotted back to camp.

He stared up at the tall evergreen trees around him. Though they were still green and full of life, leaf bare was coming, and coming soon. The nights were already feeling colder. Shadepaw breathed in the smell of the pine trees. That was one thing he loved about SnowClan's territory. The pine trees. They always filled the air with a great smell.

Sure, the fallen pine needles were annoying to step on, but Shadepaw didn't mind it as much as other cats. Clawfrost hated pine needles the most. He had big feet, so they would usually poke him more often than they poked Shadepaw and his small, black paws.

Shadepaw walked into camp and realized he walked into an apprentice ceremony. "Tigerpaw! Snakepaw! Darkpaw!" The clan cheered. Shadepaw dropped his mouse so he could cheer along. He felt bad for missing out on their ceremony; the least he could do was cheer for them.

As the cheering ended and the cats dispersed, Shadepaw grabbed the mouse and ran to the elders den. Yellowfur, an elder with ginger fur, greeted him. "Oh, hello Shadepaw. What a nice surprise!" She purred. "Hello, Yellowfur. I caught a mouse and I wanted to see if anyone in here wanted it." Shadepaw explained. "I've already eaten, but Lavenderfur hasn't. She's asleep now, but I'll give it to her when she wakes up." Yellowfur said. "Thank you, Yellowfur." Shadepaw said, dropping the mouse in front of the ginger elder. "No, no, thank you." She smiled. Shadepaw nodded and headed outside.

He looked at the medicine cat den for Hickorypaw, but didn't see her anyway. "Ivywillow, have you seen Hickorypaw anywhere?" He asked. "I think she went to show the new apprentices their new nests in the apprentices den." She said, not even looking up. She was busy assorting her herbs. They smelled fresh. _She probably just got those. With leaf bare on the way, she probably wants to be prepared._

"Thanks, Ivywillow." Shadepaw said. He started to walk away, but Ivywillow stopped him. "Hold it right there! Look at you! You're bleeding!" She exclaimed, rushing over to him. "Inside the den, right now. No buts." Ivywillow escorted him inside.

Shadepaw watched with curiosity as Ivywillow got to work. She was busy making a poultice for his cuts. He sat as still as he could as she applied strong poultices and cobwebs onto his cuts. "I knew Lightpaw was a good fighter, but I didn't think this good." Ivywillow was saying.

"You should see her cuts. I didn't go easy on her." Shadepaw smiled. "Stay still. You don't want that poultice dripping into your eye." Ivywillow ordered. Shadepaw was about to nod, but caught himself before he did. "Yes ma'am." He said.

"How long do I stay here?" "You'll sleep here tonight and tomorrow night. After that, you should be okay." Ivywillow told him. Great. Two nights in a den full of really weird smelling things. I guess it could be worse. Lightpaw could be here with me. No, I'm not even going to think that. With my luck, she'll be stuck in here with me.

"Ivywillow, can you come quickly? Shellclaw started her kitting!" Stormfang ran into the den saying. "I'm coming." Ivywillow said. She grabbed a couple of herbs. "Boy, I wish I had an apprentice." She muttered as she ran outside towards the nursery. _I'm happy Shellclaw is kitting. SnowClan could use a couple more cats._ Shadepaw yawned. It was a little early for sleep, but his bones ached and he had nothing better to do since he was confined to camp. He shut his eyes and feel asleep, curled up in his nest.

* * *

 **Finally! Chapter Two is done! I know this was really short and kinda boring, but trust me, it will get better. The first few chapters are a bit of a setup, but once Shadepaw gets his warrior name, it will get way more interesting. This chapter's question: Now that Shadepaw finally stood up to his sister, how long do you think it will last? Or do you think she will finally LIGHTen up and show him some respect. I'm so sorry you had to read that pun. Thanks for reading!**


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